Features

World Championships 2011 - Day 1

Saturday, 30th April 2011

The 75th IIHF World Championships got underway in Bratislava and Kosice on Friday with match ups in Group A where Germany took on Russia, and in Group B Switzerland played France.

GROUP A

GERMANY 2-0 RUSSIA

Germany lined up with 16 of last year’s semi final team whilst the Russians have only 8 players from their final defeat in Germany.

Russia dominated the early exchanges but the Germans slowly got themselves back into the game and the first real chance came from Christoph Ullman who tested Nabukov to no avail. Radulov and Zaripov were proving a handful but too many turnovers by both sides spoiled the first 20 minutes. Very little else to talk about other than a minor penalty to each time and the first period ended 0-0

Germany started the second period on the powerplay with Yemelin in the box on a holding the stick penalty. With 4.19 gone in the period, Germany took a shock lead. There did not seem any danger when Thomas Greilinger took the puck in centre ice, but a gap opened up and he flung the puck on goal only for Nabukov to make a complete hash of it and the puck crept under his pads for 1-0. At the half way test it is Germany who are having the best of the game but the Russians are deadly on the counter attack. Russia missed a superb chance on 32.40 with Taransenko all alone in front of Endras in the German goal but the Berlin goalie made a superb save to keep his team in front. Nabukov then had to earn his pennies with two saves in quick succession. Good end to end stuff with underdogs Germany more than holding their own. With 3.24 left in the period Mueller went to the box on an interference call and Endras had to make a save over his shoulder to keep the Russians out. With 2 mins left in the period and the powerplay running out Russia again missed a great chance with Morozov shooting straight at Endras. Rankel then hit the Russian post from out front as the Germans broke out of their own zone. Great end to end play with the Germans defending resolutely and the Russians starting to make some quality chances. The period ended with Germany clinging on to their slender lead.

Afenigonev had a great chance to equalise right at the start of the third period but Endras got across his goal to keep the puck out. Hossfeld then hit the post at the other end as the Russians were stretched on the counter attack. With 1.07 left after surviving a powerplay, Germany took advantage of a huge hit on the boards to send Reimer in alone on Nabukov and a sweet left hand deke put him on his backside and 2-0 to Germany

A well deserved win for Germany against a poor Russian side who will have to improve or coach Bykhov will be out of a job before the end of the tournament.

GROUP B

SWITZERLAND 1-0 (OT) FRANCE

Not much to report on this one. A very poor Switzerland team should have put France to the sword but poor decision making throughout the game meant that France took their superior neighbours to overtime. A great shutout performance by Cristobal Huet, saving 32 shots was not enough though as with 1.46 of the extra period gone, Vauclair broke out and sweetly backhanded the puck past Huet for the winning goal. France will be both pleased and disappointed with 1 point as Switzerland were there for the taking today.

On to the evening games now and my game to watch is hosts Slovakia v Slovenia.

SLOVAKIA 3-1 SLOVENIA

Well, thanks to the vagaries of the internet, I did not get to watch this game as the site was down. I do have the scorers so here is the best I can do.

Nothing at all to report in the first period apart from one minor penalty to Slovenian Ticar after 1.02. No goals although the home side dominated with a 14-5 shot count. As happens so often in this game of ours, the tables can turn in a heartbeat. Martin Strbak went on a 2 minute tripping penalty after only 40 seconds of the second period and Slovenia capitalised with a goal from Kranjc. After that the Slovenians got themselves into penalty trouble and after coming under severe pressure, they just failed to hold out to the break. The great Miroslav Satan sent the home crowd wild with the equaliser after 35 minutes. Slovakia had again dominated the period and went in on level terms but it was surely only a matter of time before they wrapped up the points.

Such was the Slovaks complete dominance of the third period, they only allowed 2 shots on goal and scored the go ahead goal on 47.03 with a marker from Podhradsky. Slovenia pulled Kristan for the extra skater with a minute to go but unfortunately lost an empty netter 8 seconds from the end, scored by Bartecko. All in all, according to the press, a comfortable win for Slovakia.

BELARUS 1-4 CANADA

As expected Canada took the points against Belarus, however they toiled in the first period against mediocre opposition. They took the lead in less than 2 minutes through Eberle, assisted by Kane and Scalzo. Reimer had to be at his best on a few occasions as Belarus grew in confidence and shocked the North Americans by equalising 4 seconds from the end of the period. Stepanov scored the goal assisted by Kulakov and Kitarov.

Skinner scored the only goal of the second period to give Canada the lead on the half hour mark and they went to the second break 2-1 up.

Canada upped the tempo in the third and scored two more goals from Tavares and Eberle. This is a very young Team Canada and they will be boosted by this opening win. They will surely have tougher tasks to negotiate as the competition evolves.

Ok that’s it for a fairly eventful day with a major shock in Group A and a minor one in Group B. Let’s see what tomorrow brings.

Tambo

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World Championships 2011 - Day 1


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